Stories of Technology, Innovation, & Entrepreneurship in the Southeast

Joe Harper wrote his first computer program in the 1980s, during the personal computer revolution. PCs were just emerging in the workplace, and Harper was one of the salesmen getting them through the doors of businesses in Oak Ridge.

“I remember first walking into the store. They were the first personal computers I’d ever seen. My eyes got so big. The hair stood up on the back of my neck. And when I saw the owner, the first words out of my mouth were, ‘I’m going to work for you,’” Harper recalled.

That week, Harper got his hands on a computer for the first time. He studied it, learning the hardware, keys, and applications useful to small-business owners, and became a force as a salesman.

“I remember thinking – this technology is about to change the world,” he said.

One of the people Harper sold to was a Snap-on tools salesman who needed budgeting and accounting software to track his daily expenses. With no programming background, Harper taught himself and built the tool.

“To this day, you can still install my software, even on new computers!” Joe said, showing the application on his home computer screen.

Another customer was the secretary at a local funeral home.

“I walked in and gave her a flyer to attend one of my classes about how to use a computer for business. She burst out laughing and said her father, the business owner, just purchased an electric typewriter, and there was no way he would allow her to attend a computer class,” Harper said.

That was in May 1984. The two married in October of the same year. They are still married and living in Clinton today.

Harper’s run as a computer salesman changed his life. This all happened 42 years ago, and Harper is still a wiz with computers – so much so that at 92 years old, he took a job as a Tech Goes Home certified instructor for the Anderson County Senior Center in Clinton.

Becoming a certified instructor for Tech Goes Home

Tech Goes Home is a digital inclusion non-profit program that provides people with the digital skills, a new device, and internet access needed to succeed.

Some attendees have never used a computer; others just want to upskill for work or daily life. Each participant receives a Chromebook.

At the Anderson County Senior Center, Harper works with the full range of internet users — from people setting up their first social media account or learning to spot online scams, to those starting online banking or building a budget in Google Sheets.

“The senior center is right near my neighborhood, so when I heard the grant for this program was acquired, I knew I had to apply for the job,” he said.

Committing to the role

Harper teaches about 15 hours of computer instruction each month, spread across five class days with two makeup days. He caps each cohort at about 20 participants to keep class sizes manageable, and expects four or five people in every group to be first-time computer users.

Most attendees do a double take when they learn his age.

“They tend to think I’m in my 70s and are shocked to find out otherwise,” he laughed. “But really, it’s the perfect program for me to be a part of.”

Nearly a century of experience leading up to this moment

Harper’s life has taken plenty of turns, but the thread running through it is curiosity.

He was born in Bauxite, Arkansas, which was a town founded and run by Alcoa, an aluminum ore mining company. But after graduating high school, Harper didn’t have much interest in being a miner. Instead, he followed his passion for being a ham radio operator.

“I was talking and connecting to people around the world before there was Facebook and before there was the internet,” Harper said. “W4DDJ; that was my call. It stood for Deep Dixie Joe.”

That skill made him a fit for the Navy, where he maintained radar and radio communications. When his contract ended, curiosity carried him through a string of roles.

He had a brief stint with his hometown company, Alcoa, before moving across the country to take a role in Lockheed Martin’s former Missiles and Space Division. From there, he worked his way up and eventually left to take a role with Raytheon Semiconductor to manufacture integrated circuits on silicon.

“I was reading a trade journal one day and happened to see an advertisement for a physicist position in Oak Ridge. They were manufacturing radiation detectors on silicon, and I had some ideas on how to improve the process… I got the job and found myself in East Tennessee,” he said.

Life outside of the office

Alongside his technical career, Harper kept a long list of side pursuits. He co-founded the Back Door Pizza Parlor in Oak Ridge, opened a photography studio, bought a boat, and backpacked 40 to 50 of the backcountry trails in the Smokies, took up leatherworking, drone flying, and laser engraving… the list goes on and on.

“I often say I retired when I was 62, but I haven’t missed a day of work since, Harper laughed, acknowledging that he’s always kept himself busy with projects, side businesses, and hobbies.

But in this season of life, being a certified instructor for Tech Goes Home tops his list of enjoyment.

“At this point, it’s really about giving back to my community. That’s what it’s all about,” he said.

Tech Goes Home impact across Tennessee

Harper is just one of several certified instructors across the state of Tennessee for Tech Goes Home. Since the program’s inception, more than 20,000 graduates have completed the program from 88 counties. More than 18,000 of those participants received Chromebooks, giving them internet access.

The program runs tracks for older adults (like the course Harper teaches at the Senior Center), Spanish speakers, early childhood and schools, office-ready skills, and even college readiness. For the full list of programming, check out Tech Goes Home here.

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